Tails and Sonic
by Madhog thy Master
Summary: Every legend has a beginning... As unpleasent as it could be. Sequel of my previous story: "Tails". Read that story first or you may be confused.
1. Chapter 1

**TAILS AND SONIC**

* * *

**1.**

_**Preposterous.**_

_**This world is corrupted… Poisoned by it's own population… Dominated by chaos and disorder… War and despair… Death and sufferance… And filthy sapient beings.**_

_**It is indeed clear now, that those creatures who dared to claim it's possession do not deserve it..**_

_**They claim to fight for the good of their people… For the utopist establishment of a durative Peace… For finding Order and Control over the irrational Chaos in which our universe has been sank in... **_

_**Foolish mortals!**_

**_All they did __was creating more Chaos… More disorder… More sorrows._**

_**The simple fact that these inferior vermin are still alive and evolving, is an insult to everything I stand for!**_

_**Evolution… Natural Selection… Chaos… Bah!**_

_**It is all preposterous! I refuse to believe that even one of those ignorant creatures could be considered a "Chosen One"… As long as I strictly deny the existence of Arbitrary Freedom!**_

_**No one has free will! Everybody's fate has been already written… There's no escape from Destiny!**_

_**Although, it's true… Life is Chaos… But Chaos can be controlled… By the true "Chosen One"!**_

_**The one who's destiny is to be ruler of this sick world and redeem it's worthless inhabitants from their pathetic existences… **_

**_I am the__ predestined one…_**

_**I shall save this planet from Chaos and restore a new order of Peace and Control!**_

_**Yes… That is what I'm bound to be… As soon as I will escape from this Limbo they imprisoned me in…**_

_**But it is just a matter of time, now… And I have all the time in the world…**_

_**I shall wait for my moment… The moment I shall be freed… **_

**_I shall wait__… And observe._**

_**Indeed… I shall observe Them.**_

_**For now…**_

* * *

It's a common credence that, before dieing, most people tend to be unable to shear a single sound due to the freezing terror Death brings with it… On this night, however, nobody stayed silent.

The screams, the cries, the perfectly loud manifestation of fear… Of sudden death… Were quite earful.

On that hot, summer night of 10 years ago… A village was burning… Along with it's own inhabitants. The flames were high, ominous and merciless… Full of that sadism, of that will to kill that their master has brought with him.

A tiny, little town in the middle of the Green Hill Zone… With a lot of people… And a lot of corpses.

And the screams…

Males.

Females.

Children.

Nobody has been spared.

A fate even worse than Death itself awaited the unfortunate souls who were captured alive… A fate of pain and disaster… A fate of mindless enslavement.

He could still ear them… The cries for un-receiving mercy… The cries of his people, his friends, his family…

Run, little one, run… Be faster than speed itself… Be free… Free as the wind blows… Become the wind! Those the words his uncle yelled at him before been captured.

Running… A thing that he could do quite well…

He was a child not older than 5… He had smooth, downward quills on the back of his head and shoulders…

He was a hedgehog… A Mobian hedgehog… A scared, little, blue Mobian hedgehog…

A lonely child…

A kid… Not an average one, though.

He had a gift, a very unique gift indeed… He could run fast… Very fast. He could break the sound barrier by running on his own feet… Yeah, THAT fast.

A natural gift.

A new step in the hedgehog evolution? Who knew? Not me for certain…

He was still running… Frightened beyond human (or should I say Mobian) imagination. He was in a forest, a very ominous looking forest with tall trees and intimidating shadows…

And it was in one of this shadows… That "It" was awaiting him.

The cub suddenly stopped. He was tired. Tired and on the verge of crying. His emerald green eyes were now bloodshot because of previous tears…

And that's when "It" made his presence… Or better, his voice known.

"My, my… What we have here?"

The kid snapped in agitation because of the unexpected foreigner sound.

"Ehi, ehi! Don't be afraid, young one, I'm not your enemy… Although I've seen what happened to your village… Terrible."

The cobalt furred hedgehog cub was desperately trying to sight this new presence… He couldn't, therefore he was utter terrified.

"W-who are ya? A-are y-you the Boogey Man?"

The mysterious voice chuckled a little for the appropriate remark.

"Well… In a certain way… You could say that… But don't be scared of me, child… For I am here to help you!" The voice stated.

"H-help me? How?" The scared Mobian asked.

"I have noticed your abilities, you know? Quite impressive I must say… You're pretty fast, aren't you?"

"Weeeeelll… I don't like to brag but…" Responded the youngling with re-found security "… There's nobody faster and cooler than this hedgehog, mistaa!"

The voice sounded amused.

"Ooooh, I'm sure of that… I'm also sure that with my guidance you could very well learn a few new tricks to add at your unique ability… Are you interested?" "It" asked with an hint of glee.

"My mama always told me not to follow strangers that say to me that they could teach me new tricks with my running thingy…" The childish response of a naïve kid.

At this, "It" started laughing like possessed, scaring the kid further more.

"It seems fair… I shall introduce myself to you, than… This way, I would no longer be a stranger, right?"

"I s'pose so…" The little hog answered shyly.

"It" showed himself to the child… From the tree it was hiding behind.

At first, the hedgehog's natural instincts told him to flee… To run away from this thing… This strange, ugly creature that stood right in front of him… Smiling.

There was something of "It", however, that caught the attention of the young hog… Something about it's physical shape… That made him giggle.

"Wow… You're so fat, mistaa!"

It's smile vanished in an instant, substituted by a loud grunting…

"You should not disrespect the elders, hedgehog!" Declared the creature, not hiding a little irritation.

"I'm sorry…" Replied the younger with sincere (not!) guilt in his voice while adopting the legendary "puppy face" to exclaim his point.

The rotund thing just sighed and resumed the previous argument.

"So… Would you like to come with me and improve your skills?"

"Will I be able to run through walls and pulverize my enemies with super cool eye lasers?"

"Ehrrrrrr… Sure."

"MONDO STUPENDO!"

The thing looked satisfied with the kid's answer… Although not having a clue of what the heck he just said…

"By the way…" Continued the cub. "… My name is Sonic… SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! What's your name, mistaa?"

And the egg shaped creature smiled from behind it's thick orange-brown mustaches before answering…

"Just call me…Uncle Ivo."

* * *

_**Interesting… An innocent lad… A deceiving human… Interesting combination, indeed. I will keep an eye on them.**_

**_I could gain__ advantages from this situation._**

_**Perhaps my awakening is nearer than I thought…**_

_**Let's look again… Another timeline… Oh yes… I can feel a lot of discomfort from this one…**_

_**A destructive menace…**_

_**A young one's sacrifice…**_

_**A broken heart full of despair…**_

_**My favorite.**_

* * *

A disclosed location with rare vegetation and ancient ruins of a forgotten civilization…

A single figure planting a seed on the grassy ground…

A sobbing two-tailed fox…

A unique being.

A funeral?

No… Hopefully, not.

An homage to a beloved departed?

Neither…

… A rebirth?

… Perhaps.

* * *

_**Aaaaaah… Such torment. Such sorrow… How pathetic!**_

_**Mmmmh… yet again… That was not a common seed…**_

_**What's this? Chaos energy?**_

_**Ooooooooh… I see.**_

_**Mmmmh-mmmh… Mhehehehehehehehehehehehehe…. **_

_**HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!**_

_**How amusing!**_

**_It__ shall be fun!_**

_**After all these millenniums… The key for my resurrection has been revealed!**_

_**The Ancient Walkers have granted me, their messiah, with this powerful asset!**_

_**Soon… I shall live again!**_

**_The foolish mortals will feel my wrath__! For I am… Their Iblis!_**

_**Rise… Rise, young spawn… Rise and obey your master!**_

**_I command you to rise__…_**

_**Iblis Trigger!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**2.**

It has been a month…

A whole month since the Project: Doomsday incident. A month since the menace that almost destroyed Mobius.

A month since her death…

Cosmo the Seedrian, her name was… The first and for now, the only, element of her kind.

She was the first sapient anthropomorphic plant based life form… The latest step in natural evolution… And a true heroine.

She sacrificed herself in order to vanquish that lethal nuke… She summoned Chaos Control with the red Chaos Emerald she was born with and than, she just disappeared along with the missile…

Only a seed was left of her…

A seed of hope?

A seed of illusion?

Just a seed, for now…

It was buried and left to grow by it's own.

It has been a month…

A whole month since a young heart broken fox started his healing process… Luckily for him, he was not alone.

He had his friends, his comrades… His family, with him. He was a Freedom Fighter, after all. He had her… His adopted mother… And he was glad for it. Ultimately, he had a goal… The demise of  
his / their mortal enemy, Doctor Eggman.

After the whole Project: Doomsday fiasco, things didn't get quite well for the good old deranged doctor… G.U.N. and Militia's forces were now pretty much on his neck, preparing themselves to do battle with everything they hold… The uranium reserves under Robotropolis were exhausted so he couldn't make another weapon alike… And what was worse, his enemies had his nephew, Snively, in their grasps.

Been a member of the Mobian council, Snively happened to be the perfect spy for the Eggman Empire… His capture (along with the capture of the entire G.U.N. leak) has been orchestrated by the doctor himself as a further bait to lure the enemy's attention away from his, now vanquished, ultimate scheme… Ironically enough, the little Overlander could very well become the key for his uncle's demise.

Not many info came out from his mouth so far… Except a name…

"Ivo Julian Robotnik… Doctor Eggman's real name."

"Is that all the bloody news you got?"

"I'm afraid so…"

"Fucking Chaos Superstar!"

"There's no reason to be vulgar, Knuckles."

"Well, excuse me 'Your Former Majesty'! BUT I'M GETTING FREAKING PISSED OFF!!"

"Sigh… Never mind."

If there was one thing that Maximillian Acorn knew, was that perfectly rational and polite mannered discussions and angry, easily pissed off-able echidnas, didn't fit together… Not at all.

The former royal squirrel sighed and decided, for his mental sake, to change the topic.

"So… Tell me, my good echidna, how's my daughter, Sally, doing?" He asked from the giant screen his image appeared on.

"She's doing just fine… She's with Tails, now, where she belongs." Replied Knuckles from the room he was receiving Max's call.

"That's a relief… Things happened to be quite messy over the past few weeks, you know?"

"I can imagine… Hell! You guys are probably trying to fuck each other, right now!"

Of course, the old Acorn knew what the echidna's unappreciated direct remark meant. After Snively's betrayal and Sally's defection from the Mobian Council, the three remaining members (including Maximillian) were struggling very hardly to keep things united… They would be forced to choose other two members sooner or later… Trustworthy people, hopefully.

Being in mood for a talk, despite the nature of the interlocutor, the ex king continued his conversation…

"And how's the others doing?"

That, unfortunately, was definetelly NOT a good question. For obvious reasons, the collective mood of Knuckles's companions haven't been very solar…

The death of Cosmo had left a big hole in the fabric of their unity.  
Espio the Chameleon, the silent but lethal trained ninja, used to pass all of his days in meditation, isolating himself more than he usually did.

Blaze the Cat, the fire master lady, was the one who reacted the worst… Cosmo was her sister, honorary sister but sister none the less. The feline would spend grand part of her time crying softly in the solitude of her room… She hasn't talked with anybody for a month.

Amy Rose, the enthusiastic pink hedgehog… Was enthusiastic no more. She tried, with all her might, to cheer her friends and colleagues up… But to no avail. Failing in this task, she became even more depressed. She would spend at least two afternoon at week bathing in the Great Lake… Desperate to clean herself from more than just dirt… From that awful yet intoxicating memory… From Him.

All in all, Tails was doing good, mainly thanks to Sally's efforts. The kid loved Cosmo, there were no doubts about it… It wasn't just a crush, it was Love in it's purest and suffering form… And without his "mother's" affection, he wouldn't be able to even walk again.

Knuckles himself was not having a fine time too… He would blame himself to death for the fate of Cosmo… For been unable to save her. He would not forget the angry words that his fox companion muttered at him through his tears… Knuckles had problems in sleeping, therefore his mood was even nastier than usual… And that said something!

In the end… The members of the Freedom Fighters Mystic Ruins Section were NOT having a good time.

"We're good. Thanks." With that said, the red mauler hang up, cursing under his breath… As always.

* * *

From the apparent obscurity of his hut, Maximillian was having a panic attack.

**_Why didn't I tell him!? Damn it! Ok, ok… Relax now, max old buddy. You promised to your best friend not to spoil anything… For now. Again, DAMN IT!_**

The former monarch, unlike any common politician, didn't like to lie or keep secrets… Especially a secret of this magnitude.

About a month ago, his intelligence agencies have been able to detect a strange phenomenon near the south-west confines of Robotropolis… A strange, uncommon, blue ray of energy... A blur, some said. The local Freedom Fighters Militia, the Wolfpac, confirmed it's existence…

Max had no doubts of what that could have been… As soon as he realized it, the first thing he did was to call his long timed friend and inform him of the joyful news.

* * *

**_"Charles… We've found him."_**

**_"Who?"_**

**_"Your nephew, Charles… We've finally found him."_**

**_"… SONIC!? He's alive? But… How?"_**

**_"We could ask him directly as soon as we get the others to look for him and…"_**

**_"Wait."_**

**_"What?"_**

**_"… It could be a trap. For what we know, it could be Eggman's latest trick… No. Listen, do not approach him yet and do not tell anybody about it...."_**

**_"Are you sure?"_**

**_"Believe me, Max. There's nothing in this world I would love more than to embrace my beloved nephew again… But until we don't get absolutely sure of it's identity, I'd rather to keep it a secret… For now, at least."_**

* * *

The old squirrel didn't like this situation… He Didn't, at all.

Suddenly, someone knocked at his door.

It was a rather young looking coyote dressed in a military outfit and with a strange toupee like blond hair cut.

"Aaaah, Antoine, what can I do for you?"

"Zer is zomefing ve need to dizcuss, Max."

"What about?"

"Aboot a zertain blue blur your men found… Yez, they told me, Max. I know."

Antoine Depardieu was the youngest member of the Mobian Council and by far, the most undeserving… His presence in the lodge was earned by his political heritage. Despite this fact (and his ridiculously stereotypical French accent) the canine wasn't to be underestimated… He was an unpredictably sly individual and his current behavior was nothing more than a façade to hide his true personality. He learned this trick from his father… If your enemies underestimate you than it would be easier to defeat them, that's what his parent taught him.

Maximillian, however, wasn't stupid… He had quite a talent when it came to detect liars and masquerades, therefore, he would always keep an eye on this young ambitious lad.

"Let's walk, shall we?"

"Inzeed."

And so, they do.

The hidden haven better known as Knothole, freshly rebuilt in the shelter of the Great Forest, nearby the confines with Overland, consisted in a few huts, a resilient perimeter gate and high security guard systems… And lots of soldiers and technological stuff.

This bunker was the center of all Mobius's activities and the place where the Council used to rule from…

In the middle of the "town", two of the current three members of the lodge were having a very important and polite conversation about Trust and Respect…

"YOU, ZTUPID OLD FART! VHY YOU DIDN'T TELL UZ!?"

"OOOOOH, SHUT UP, SISSY!"

"YOU VILL PAY FOR DIS! KRAZY FUEL!"

"The word is 'fool', ignorant!"

It didn't take very long for the two of them to start performing their own version of a "No Holds Barred" Hardcore Wrestling match with each other… Or for a random crowd to come along and enjoy the show, cheering passionately for their chosen champion…

"Let's go, Ant!" Someone yelled.

"Let's go, Max!" Someone else said.

"HOLY SHIT!" Basically everybody cried.

Set on the comment table for this amazing PPV event, were none other than legendary wrestler, Jerry "The Kangaroo" Lawler and his colleague "Good Old JR" Jim Rooster.

"My Chaos, Kangaroo! These two are gonna kill themselves! It sure is damn personal!" Cried Jim.

"Mmmh… What? Oh sorry, I was admiring the ladies… Yowza!" Replied the Kangaroo.

The spectacle did endure for a while… It was right when Antoine was about to hit Max in the head with a barb wired baseball bat that someone had enough of it…

"OK! I HAD FAIRLY ENOUGH OF THIS!" Indeed, he had.

Everybody turned to see the new comer… It was an old skunk with a military general outfit.

Geoffrey St. John, the oldest and most stubborn member of the Council, was still a pretty intimidating figure… And not just because he was a smelly old skunk…

The other two younger Mobians stood to their feet, messed up, bruised due to their fight and still glancing at each other with killing glares.

The former general approached them and, with an air of solemn authority, spoke.

"Now… Let's discuss about this "Blue Blur" phenomenon, shall we?"

* * *

**Meanwhile, somewhere in the Mystic Ruins.**

Miles "Tails" Prower was just relaxing… A thing that he didn't do often, lately… Mainly because of his grieves about losing Cosmo… And partly due to his step mother's attentions.

From the very day in which Sally Acorn dropped her job as politician, she's been with her beloved "son" ever since. They together built a simple hut in a convenient field nearby the hidden Militia base and lived there for a few days, now.

He didn't complain with it at all… He loved Sally as a bigger sister (even as a mother, for that matter, but don't tell anybody), he didn't, however, liked how childishly she treated him… She used to cuddle him and giving him all those stupid "funny kisses"…

He wan not a child… Or better, he mentally wasn't. He was a mechanical genius, a pilot, a soldier and a highly trained fighter… 8 years old or not! She seemed not to understand this and that was kind of burdening the kit…

Deep down, on the other hand, the situation was quite different… He needed that attention… He needed to be loved and cuddled… He needed all of that way more than he could ever admit…

He needed her… And Sally too.

Lying on the green grass, the Kitsune was almost asleep… Or he would have been, if the loud noise of an explosion wouldn't have been caught by his sensitive foxy ears.

Immediately aware, the tiny warrior spun his two namesakes and darted for the direction of the noise, athletically avoiding the trees in the process…

This explosion, he could say, was very different from the usual ones he was accustomed to… It seemed almost like… A Sonic Boom? Impossible, who could ever break the sound barrier in the middle of a thick tree forest?

The fox reached an opening field only to find… None.

"Mmmmh, I wonder what was that noise?"

"YO!!!" Someone screamed from behind the kit.

"AAAAAAARRRGH!!!" A natural reaction to unexpected encounters such this… Followed by a sudden fly on the highest tree branch.

"Whoa, sorry 'bout that, dude! Ehi, ya can fly with those two tails of ya… Mondo cool!"

"M-mon-what-the-heck?" Slowly but still heart pounding, the cub descended from his improvised haven and gave a better look at the potential fiend.

His "attacker" was a blue teenage hedgehog with long downward quills, gloves and sneakers… And a "I'm THAT damn awesome" kind of smirk on his face.

"What are ya starin' at, bro? Wanna take a picture? Well, I couldn't blame ya for that… I'm the coolest dude in da house, after all!"

Tails knew this hog for just a few seconds now… And he could already say that he didn't really like him… As a matter of fact, the "dude" was quite annoying.

He did ask him, anyway.

"Ehrrr… And who are you?"

The hedgehog adopted an hurt expression…

"Ya don't know me? Duuuuude, that's mondo tremendo!"

"Mondo what? Do you speak my language?" A sincere doubt that crossed the vulpine's mind.

"Ha ha… Funny cool little guy, eh?"

"It wasn't a joke… And you still didn't answer my question. Who. Are. You?"

The blue boy smirked again, raised his left arm to the sky in a typical super hero pose and, finally, answered.

"I'm Sonic… SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!"

**_What a dumb name._** Tails thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**3.**

**_I can sense it… Raw Chaos power…_**

**_These children shall be useful… They are like magnets._**

**_Useful, indeed… Ehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe…_**

**_Let's see… Their progresses._**

**_Mmmmh… Here's that timeline again… Oh yes! The little rodent and his "uncle"._**

**_Thus far, it has been entertaining…_**

* * *

"UUUNNCLE IIIIIVOOOO!!! I'M BOOOOREEED!!!"

"NOT NOW, SONIC! I'M QUITE BUSY!"

"I WANNA PLAY, UNC!"

Hyperactive young hedgehogs and migraines don't mix.

"Listen, hedgehog… This is REALLY a delicate moment and the last thing I need is a loud, young obnoxious child running around!"

"What's an oblockuos? A super mondo cool mechanical dinosaur!?"

"OBNOXIOUS! It means… Say, that mechanical dinosaur idea isn't that bad… Mmmmh." An evil grin appeared on the scientist's face.

"I'M STILL BORED, UNCLE IVO!"

"Fine! Go play with one of my robots… BUT DON'T SMASH IT! Remember what happened the last time!"

"Ehi! It's not ma fault if that hunk 'a' junk you built couldn't keep up with this speedhog!"

"Whatever… Here's your playmate."

"Uncle" Ivo showed the little kid a very particular robot… A rather familiar one.

It was a light blue, mechanical hedgehog with metallic white mustache and red eyes…

"Ehi, this robot looks like my uncle Chuck… COOOOOOOOOOOL!!! THANKS UNCLE IVO, I LOVE YOU!!"

"Love you too, sonny boy." Said the doctor with an evil smile hidden behind his mustache.

Once the little nuisance was dealt with, Ivo resumed his previous chores.

"And now… On with the conquest!"

And a large army of Badniks started moving toward a large metropolis right ahead… Their fat commander was following them from his vehicle, an half egg shaped, one-person, floating hovercraft.

From his Egg Mobile's height, the human noticed a sign that red… "Welcome to the city-state of Mobotropolis – Population: 25.000.000."

He grinned… Lowered his vehicle to the sign's height, took a knife out from nowhere and with it, he scratched the number on the sign… Until it became unreadable.

Than he laughed…

And laughed…

And laughed…

And laughed…

And someone else's started laughing with him…

And they laughed…

And…

"What?"

The doctor turned his head and noticed than he was not alone. His face showed a large amount of frustration.

"Sonic… What are you doing still here? And what are you laughing at?"

And the innocent looking child responded.

"Well… I heard you laugh like a bad guy from a comic book and I thought it was funny!"

The egg shaped human frowned quite miserably… His mustache almost touched the ground.

"…. Go play with your robot, Sonic."

And so he did.

**_A bad guy from a comic book… Kids, today! That's one more reason for roboticize them all!_**

* * *

**Not so far away, in an unspecified wood.**

"So… Whaddya wanna play, robo-dude?" Asked an eager youngling to his new robot friend…

The old looking machine looked down to the little hedgehog with a blank expression before muttering something.

"Subject: Sonic Hedgehog! Priority one: Play with the rodent!" It said with his unemotional voice.

"Ehiiiiiii… That's not nice, mistaa Roboto!"

The hedgebot seemed to acknowledge.

"Processors are suggesting a fine hunting game simulation…"

"Speak English, pal!" Retorted the impatient kid.

After scanning it's young master with it's mechanical eyes, the bot automatically reprogrammed it's robotic brain in order to solve their communication problems.

"Let's play Hide and Seek." It finally said.

"Now, That's English! Ok Iron Hog, you count, I hide!"

"Acknowledged… Commencing count down sequence."

"Argh! You talked weirdo again!"

"I'll start the count." The bot corrected itself.

And so it started counting.

And so he hid.

And so they played.

And, in the meantime, someone was dyeing…

And someone was killing…

And laughing madly at it.

* * *

**_Oooooh… This character is certainly interesting… Such superb speed… Yet, such immature behavior and childish ignorance… A perfect weapon, indeed._**

**_That unbearably looking human is smart… And sadistic… Yes… I could find some use of him._**

**_Ahr ahr ahr ahr ahr ahr…_**

**_What's this?_**

**_Aaaaah… Another window… Another vision…_**

**_Let us enjoy!_**

* * *

Red.

A dominant color, today…

Red was his fur…

Red was his blood…

Red was his people…

Red was the land…

All was red… For today, Death itself claimed it's prize.

They came from above… They came from the sky.

So many…

For the once proud Echidna race… Judgment day was arrived.

Eggman found their haven… Their secret village... Hidden in the Rail Canyon... A natural shelter...

And a natural trap.

The bees were hundreds… All equipped with flamethrowers and rockets.

The echidnas didn't stand a chance.

Someone escaped… Maybe… He didn't know for sure… He felt it, somehow.

His family… His mother, father and the older sisters… Were still alive (?)

He's been lucky… He was buried in his hut's rests… He was wounded but alive.

He was young… Not older than 10… And surrounded by the corpses.

People he knew. People he didn't know. Friends. Strangers.

Males. Females. Children his age. Younger children.

Burnt. Battered. Dead.

He was standing in the middle of it. He was silent and unnaturally calm.

That's how he's been trained… That's how he was meant to be.

A true warrior… A proud echidna… That never cries.

And never backs down.

Cerulean eyes full of grief and vengeance… He swore.

He swore to his own pride and the pride of his fallen race that the responsible for all of this… This massacre… Will meet his demise by the very humongous, bloody hands of this young, pissed off echidna.

And that was FUCKING it!

* * *

**_Anger… A dangerous emotion, indeed… But amusing, none the less._**

**_This one is the perfect opposite… A Vessel of Speed… And a Vessel of Strength._**

**_Strength versus Speed… I can feel it very clearly, now…_**

**_Chaos energy… These two has been "gifted"…_**

**_Yes… They will definetelly be of some use… When they shall meet with the Vessel of Intelligence… And when my precious child will fulfill it's chore… The Ancient Prophecy shall be granted!_**

**_The power of Chaos will be in my tight grasp!_**

**_And I'll be free, once again…_**

**_Free as the fiery wind of Hell, blows!_**

**_And only than, the real Fun shall begin!_**

**_Well… What do we have here? The third Vessel, none the less…_**

**_Let us observe._**

* * *

**Somewhere in Emerald Hill Zone.**

He was accustomed to pain… He didn't even feel it anymore…

The word they used to call him, on the other hand, was a different story…

Freak of Nature.

That's how everybody called him… Before the beating… During the beating… After the beating…

Always.

The only people that loved him where his parents… He had no friends… No one to play with… Not even feral animals.

Nobody.

He was unique… He had two tails… He could fly with them.

He also had an abnormal intelligence… He was too smart for his own good.

When he heard the screams, however, it wasn't his brain that made him move… It was his instinct.

He spun his two appendages and darted forward… Only to find himself in the one, single turmoil that will change his life, forever…

Two Mobian squirrels… Chipmunks, he believed… A young female, about 11-12, and an older male, probably a parent… Surrounded by a group of 5 mechanical bees…

The two Mobians' gaze fell on the young cub… Almost crying for help… For him to help or to call for help… Or maybe, telling him to just scram away from danger… He didn't know for certain.

As well as he didn't know what happened next… His body started moving by his own…

Of that day… Only two things remained in his memory…

The cries…

And those terrified, pleading eyes.

* * *

**_Amazing! Such strength in such little body…_**

**_This Vessel shall be the most interesting… I will definetelly keep an eye on him…_**

**_And speaking of children…_**

* * *

**Ancient Ruins. About a month ago.**

A mysterious red gem was glowing…

A sudden noise made it's presence known in the silence of the forest…

A baby cry…

* * *

**_It has born…_**

**_The Iblis Trigger… HAS BORN!!!_**

**_The End is nigh!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**4.**

**Mystic Ruins.**

**_"I don't like this situation, I just want you to know."_**

"Mephiles, you don't like anything… As a matter of fact, you'd love to erase existence itself if given the proper chance!"

**_"True… But this time is different."_**

"And how is it?"

**_"There's something horribly wrong about the whole ordeal… It's a big mistake… We shouldn't have agreed, in the first place."_**

"Are you… Worried, brother? This is so unlike you! What happened to 'Mephiles the Dark' the Chaos Maker, the Messenger of Destruction?"

**_"That's the whole point, Shadow! This thing has nothing to do with creating genuine Chaos and random genocides around the globe… It's something more… Something that could very well change the whole concept of Life as we know it…"_**

"I don't care. The only thing I care is…"

**_"Yes, yes… I know… You're doing this and that only for Her… Bla, bla, bla. Yadda, yadda, yadda. We ALL know the drill, here…"_**

"You know how it is important to me, don't you?"

**_"Of course I know, damn it! I was there, remember? I'VE ALWAYS BEEN WITH YOU SINCE MY BIRTH! I'm just trying to say that… It's been 50 years, Shadow… Perhaps, just perhaps, you should… move on."_**

"HOW COULD I EVER MOVE ON!!! HOW COULD I EVER FORGET!!!"

**_"… Your yelling at me, again."_**

"Sorry… Ok, listen. After all this time, I have one chance, as amazing as it could be, to see her again and all I have to do in return is to collect those gems!"

**_"The 7 Chaos Emeralds… A piece of cake, eh?"_**

"Oh shut up! I've already got 2 of them… And I'm about to find the third… I can sense it's presence nearby…"

**_"And that bring us to another topic I'd like to discuss… Weren't these emeralds supposed to be impossible to find? I think we're having things a little too easy… It's almost like if someone (or something) has conveniently placed them around for us to pick!"_**

"They're not fakes, if that's your worry, they're quite authentic. The fact that they're easy to find is not what concerns me…"

**_"Oooooh! So, the mighty Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form, does have a concern! And what would that be?"_**

"Once we found all the emeralds… What is He going to do with them?"

**_"Did I already mention that I don't trust Him a single bit?"_**

"About a couple of thousands times."

**_"Well… I DON'T TRUST HIM A SINGLE A BIT! And if you would have a little consideration for my opinions you would listen to your brother!"_**

"Ok, now I have had it! Who's the older brother, here?"

**_"Technically, we are twins."_**

"Alright, let me rephrase it… Who's in charge, here?"

**_"Sigh… You are."_**

"Exactly! Therefore I call the shots! And I say: we are going to collect the Chaos Emeralds and deliver them to our 'benefactor' and that's final!"

**_"FINE!"_**

"FINE!"

**_"… Cough-idiot-cough."_**

"What was that?"

**_"Nothing… Just a cough. Cough-jerk-cough."_**

"Hmpf. Let's get going…"

**_"Hurray…"_**

* * *

"And that's pretty about it, man! The story of my mondo life"

"So… Let me get this straight. You're an uber awesome superhero from a world called 'The Cool Planet of Mondo Cool people'… And you came on earth because you wanted to eat some hotdogs…"

"Chilidogs, bro! Chilidogs! I LOVE 'EM! I COULDA EAT THOUSANDS OF EM!"

"Yeeeeeeaaaah… Than you found all these 'ugly uncool mechanical slow-mos' (Badniks) with their 'fat Yosemite Sam like leader' (Eggman) and you started destroying them and became this planet's uber cool hero… Did I forget anything?"

"I can smash through steel walls and pulverize people with my eye laser!"

"Oooooh yeah! I could I EVER forget that part."

If Sarcasm was a living being it would have had the form of a two-tailed anthropomorphic fox.

"So… Sonic, right? What brings you to the Mystic Ruins?" Asked the still polite young Kitsune.

The older hedgehog smirked before answering.

"Why… I'm here for ya, little buddy!"

"Ok. First of all, don't ever call me 'little buddy' again… I'm not little for my age and I'm not your buddy… Secondly… SAY WHAT!?"

"Puh-lease… Everybody knows Miles "Tails" Prower, the youngest, greatest hero on Mobius… The smartest kid in the world… The Fastest Thing Alive." On that last sentence, he hinted a little bit of irony.

"That's just how they call me… I don't think I'm THAT fast." Replied the shy, easily flattering, kit.

"I happened to agree with you, my main fox." Sonic started using a fake British accent for no apparent reason. "In fact… I AM THE JOLLY GOOD FASTEST BEING ON TWO FEET AROUND HERE!"

Now Tails's face showed a curios mix of annoyance and perplexity.

"Excuse me?"

"I, indeed, am here to, indeed, challenge your honor and, indeed, pride in a RACE!!! Indeed." Sonic said still with the fake gentleman slang.

"WHAT!? NO WAY!" The quick response of the cub.

"Are you chicken?"

"FINE! LET'S DO IT!" Another quick (and rather un-pondered) response. He was a kid, after all, war veteran or not.

"Cool! Way past! Prepare to eat me dust, big guy!" Said the blue nuisance, finally dropping the fancy accent.

* * *

**_"Are we there yet?"_**

"No."

**_"Are we there yet?"_**

"No."

**_"Are we there yet?"_**

"NO!!! WE'RE NOT THERE YET! WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BE THERE, I'LL LET YOU KNOW! NOW, SHUT UP!"

**_"Ok. Ok. Gee… I was just asking."_**

"Hmpf."

**_"……………… Are we there yet?"_**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!!! DEATH TO ALL WHO OPPOSE ME!!!!!"

* * *

"Chao! Chao!"

"No, Cheese… Rocks cannot be eaten. You could hurt your teeth."

Station Square was a modern and vital city. It had everything, shops, museums, interesting people… Not even the earlier menace of nuclear holocaust seemed to stop it's vitality… A good place to live, to make a family… To raise.

Cream, a 6 years old Mobian rabbit, used to live in this city with her mother, Vanilla, and her Chao pet. She was a happy-go-lucky little kid, the kind that looks adorable and completely innocent no matter what…

She loved her city and everything it could offer… There was, however, one thing that even the perfect metropolis of Station Square, couldn't give her…

Daisies.

Unlike most "city animals", the girl was really fond with nature… Particularly, she had a weakness for flowers. She would often walk out from the city lines and go into the wood's confines only to pick some daisies… Always followed by her loyal friend, Cheese.

"Chao! Chao!"

"No, Cheese. I don't know how you were born… Maybe mum knows it!"

Cheese was Cream's Chao.

A Chao is forever… An old motto used to say. In a certain way, it was the truth…

Chao were loyal and social being with an intelligence uncommon to normal pet animals… Some said that they were Imps, the legendary joyful spirits from the fairy tales, and just like them, they were friendly by nature.

It is still unknown to this very day the effective origins of these cute tiny things but one thing was for sure… Once a Chao choose it's master, it remains loyal to him / her forever.

Cream and Cheese (It sounds like a tremendous pun, isn't it?) had that kind of relationship. A relationship based on trust, loyalty and friendship.

They would always be there for each other… Until Death and beyond.

It is funny… How things could turn out sometimes… A cruel irony, indeed.

"Cheese? What's wrong? Why are you shaking?"

The little Imp's water drop like head was trembling in sudden agitation. It's smaller blue doll like body followed suit. It's fly wings ceased to move.

It's stare was locked on something… And it was looked back… By unnaturally black eyes.

Finally, Cream realized that they were not alone…

"Hello, little bunny." The stranger said.

And she could see him pretty well, now.

Dark purple fur, white on the chest.

A pair of boots and a belt with two hand guns hanging on the hip sides.

And a long broken tail.

He was wearing a canvas hat that covered most of his face… Giving him the look of an old cowboy.

Cream and Cheese were quite upset to meet this new comer… Especially due to it's weapons.

"W-who are you, mister?" Asked the uncomfortable kid.

The Mobian slowly raised his hat revealing his face… He had a pointed canine nose and wolf ears pressed under the hat…

What truly scared the bunny and her Chao were his eyes… Pitch black… And that one large tooth that came out from the left side of his mouth.

He was smiling… A mischievous, malicious smile… Showing the rest of his sharp teeth…

Like a predator ready to jump on it's prey, sure to catch it without breaking a sweat.

Like the Big Bad Wolf before eating the little Red Riding Hood.

Like a killer… Who loves to kill.

And so… He answered.

"The name's Fang. Fang the Sniper… What is your name, little bunny?"

She was utterly terrified now… His voice sounded cold and calculative…

"I-I'm Cream and this is Cheese… N-nice to meet you, Mr Sniper." A polite little girl, aren't she?

He didn't do or say anything… He just stood there, in front of her, grinning even more.

"Ehrrr… What can I do f-for you, Mr Sniper?" She asked.

The creature uncrossed his arms revealing, to Cream's further shock, that his gloved hands had only 4 fingers instead of the regular 5… Just who was this guy?

"I was hoping for you to ask… This will make things easier for the both of us…" Said Fang.

She looked confused now… Her Chao too. The Sniper continued.

"I have a problem, a very big problem, that requires your unwilling collaboration…"

At the mention of the word "unwilling" a sudden suspect crossed the rabbit's mind.

"You see… I've been hired by Dr Eggman to go and kill his, let's say, fugitive nephew… He pays lots of money, you know, and I don't really want to disappoint him… There's a problem, though. It seems that this individual is pretty fast to catch and, also, that he found shelter right here… With the local Freedom Fighters… That's pretty bothersome, don't you think, my dear?"

And now she was REALLY terrified.

"So, here's what I thought… Since this Fucking Farts love to play the cliché 'Hero' part… What better way to dispose of them all, than a classical 'hostage with deadly trap' situation? That's when you, an innocent, lonely, harmless and… Cute little girl, come in handy!"

Scratch that… She was utterly horrified and on the verge of fainting.

He's face was delighted and amused… His right hand was caressing his right handed gun.

"So… Will you be my hostage for today, little bunny?"

There was definetelly something in that voice… In the unnatural and calm way he was talking about kidnapping a child and murdering people without remorse… That was quite unnerving.

"By the way…" He continued. "… If you refuse to cooperate than I'll be forced to rip your soft, tender flash with a bullet… Right after raping you. Do you know what rape is?"

She slowly shook her head… Unable to do other things. The Sniper's smile widen even more.

"Of course, your not old enough to know… Let's just say that, if you won't be obedient than I'll teach you about it and trust me when I say… That I'm not a patient teacher. Do you understand me?"

She nodded this time.

"Very good girl. Now, let's go… I hate flowers."

Before anyone could do or say anything… Especially Cream… The little Imp decided to attack.

They say that a Chao is Forever…

"CHAO! CHAO!" Went the hero Imp.

… That once a Chao choose it's master, it will remain loyal to him / her…

Amused looked the Sniper.

… Cream and Cheese had this kind of relationship…

Shocked was the rabbit.

… They would always be there for each other…

"CHEEEEEEESE!!!!" Went the frightened bunny.

… Until Death and beyond…

BANG! Went the unforgiving bullet.

… A cruel irony, indeed…

Covered by the laughs, the tearful cries were.

…But than again, Life is cruel, isn't it?

* * *

**_"Did you hear it?"_**

"What?"

**_"Oh nothing… Just a single gun shot… Followed with cries of pain and maniacal laughs…AND I WASN'T ANYWHERE NEAR IT! DAMN! I NEED MY DOSE OF VIOLENCE!"_**

"Oh that… Yeah. It doesn't really matter to me, of course."

**_"Always the egotistical jerk, eh?"_**

"What are you saying? I'm not that egotistical… Right now I'm working for the both of us, you know?"

**_"Oh yeah? So it's just a total coincidence that you are sensing Chaos energy right in the same blasted forest in which that little pink hedgehog of yours used to live?"_**

"Ehrrrrrr… It's the same? I didn't notice. They all look alike to me."

**_"Yeah… Right."_**

"Ooooh, give me a brake! I'm doing just fine with this emerald hunt and… IF… I would have the sheer luck to find her in my path… Well… Use your imagination, Meph."

**_"Yuck! Disgusting! Ludicrous! Preposterous! You are a really sick person, brother!"_**

"Looks who's talking… The dark evil mass murderer!"

**_"Well… At least I don't go emo every 5 minutes!"_**

"EMO!? How dare you joke at my sorrow! You, immature nimrod!"

**_"Emohog!"_**

"Mephiles the Dork!"

**_"Pervert!"_**

"Mass murderer!"

**_"Imbecile!"_**

"Cretin!"

**_"Watch for that cliff!"_**

"What are yAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

**_"Told you… Jerk."_**

* * *

"I… Can't… Believe… It!"

"Wanna see the photo finish, bud?"

"No. No. I'm convinced… Wait! Let me check your shoes!"

"Access denied, pal! Nobody, not even cool flying foxes or sexy chicks can touch ma sneakers!"

"I just wanna see if they got some rocket booster hidden somewhere… 'Cause there's no way in hell that could break the sound barrier, otherwise!!!"

"Well… What can a say? I'm fast as the wind blows… But I have to say, bro, you are the first dude that could ever keep up with me! I'm fairly impressed, my boy."

"Will you drop that British accent, please? It's obnoxious!"

"An oblockuos rex? COOL! Where is it!?"

"What are you…"

Suddenly a loud bleeping noise interrupted the intellectual speech.

"WOAH! What's that stuff, bro?"

"Listen… Don't call me bro, okay? We're not related and we knew each other for just 10 minutes! And, by the way, this is my wrist communicator or wc…" And Tails realized too late his mistake.

"WC!!!? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! YOU CRACK ME UP, LITTLE BUDDY!!!"

"Oooooh, shut up!"

Desperately trying to ignore the laughing blue fiend, the kit answered the call…

WC!? Now, I get it! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA…. Ehm. Yeah.

"This is Tails."

The holographic image of Knuckles appeared from the watch.

"Tails… We've got problems… Big fat fucking problems."

Before the Kitsune could rightfully ask for a better and less cursing explanation… A rather high pitched sound stole the scene.

"EHI, IT'S A GHOST! MONDO CASPER!!"

Both Tails and, incredibly enough, Knuckles's "ghost" turned there glares to the hedgehog. Tails was starting to say something but he was interrupted (for the second time in less than 30 seconds) by another voice… A less high pitched but way more loud one…

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!!!!?" Yelled the blood red phantom of cursing death.

The hyperactive nuisance put on the best smartass smirk he could ever muster and answered.

"When there's something weird… In your neighborhood… Who you're gonna call? SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!!!"

Again with the superhero pose.

Tails just rolled his eyes. Knuckles, however, was left speechless… Than he turned his gaze to the kit, once again.

"From what asylum has escaped this motherfucker!?"

The boy just sighed.

"More importantly… WHAT THE BLOODY SPARTAN HELL IN HE DOING HERE!!?"

"He… Wanted to…" Tails took a very loooong breath. "… Race me."

"Excuse me?" Insisted the holographic echidna.

"… And he won." Finished the vulpine.

A few (precious) seconds of silence followed.

During such short period, Knuckles had the time to do a few things:

1) Check his own ears and brain's correct functionality.

2) Once ensured that he's not gone nuts, try to digest the actual informations he received.

3) Give a very good look at the strange blue hedgehog who seemed came out from a videogame… Or a comic book… Or a retarded TV show… Or all the things combined.

4) Curse under his breath… As he usually does.

"Ok… I don't wanna know… I just don't care… Right now, we have more urgent priorities for the matter!" Concluded the redneck warrior.

Tails went serious.

"What happened, leader?"

"Tails…" It was Knuckles's turn to take a long breath, this time. "… It's Cream." His face was showing great concern. "… She's been abducted." He finished.

The Kitsune's eyes were wide open, his mouth agape and his ears straight and pointed… For a few moments, he wasn't even breathing.

Even the carefree Sonic could notice the boy's discomfort and his expression drastically changed from an overly content one to a dead serious one…

No more games… This was serious stuff.

* * *

**_"What do you mean, it's vanished!?"_**

"Exactly what I meant! The track is simply vanished! I can't sense it, anymore!"

**_"How's that possible?"_**

"Mmmh… Someone's been faster than us."

**_"Who!?"_**

"I would like to know… But I have a vague idea of who could that be."

**_"Ooooh, I see."_**

"It's time to pay a visit to a little foxy friend of us…"

* * *

Somewhere... In a certain flower field…

A tiny, azure being lied between the daisies…

This Imp paid a price for his loyalty to it's beloved master…

And now it's blood has been spread all over the once white garden…

What came from Nature… Unnaturally has returned to it… Thanks to a bullet, a Sniper and a gust of courage.

"Poor little thing…" Said the new comer. "… Here, I shall repair this wrong."

With a swift move from his / her / it's hand (?) the gory scene magically disappeared… And the garden was pure, once again.

"I hate to see such foolishness… Such injustice… This world must be saved!"

**_Indeed, my child, indeed._**

**_And your path is only, just begun!_**

**_Now, go! Find the black and red hedgehog and assist him… Soon, our time shall come._**

"I'll comply… Father. For you… And for Her… I will not fail! For I am, the Trigger!"


	5. Chapter 5

**5.**

"It seems that we got another mystery at hand!" Said a chubby nerdy version of Amy Rose.

It was a gruesome case… A little bunny girl has been kidnapped… By a raving were wolf, none the less! Luckily, the notorious gang of the Freedom Machine was already on it.

"Boys, I got a plan!" Said a blond haired, hyper muscled Knuckles. "Espio and Tails will have to attract the monster into that lethal cliff over there… Than jump in it and die!"

"Good plan, Knucky!" Screamed an enthusiastic red haired Blaze while fixing her mascara.

"Simple and effective, unlike your usual plans." Replied the geeky Amy.

"We do not agree!" Declared a shaggy looking (and talking!) Espio.

"Uh-uh, not agree! Uh-uh!" A doggy like Tails pointed out.

Amy smirked.

"Will you do it… For a foxy snack!" She proposed taking a dog snack box out of nowhere.

"Uh-uh! Uh-uh!" Went the two unwilling baits.

"Aaaaannnnnd… For TWO foxy snacks?"

"Ya-ya! Ya-ya!"

After eating their reward… The obnoxious Popeye theme song started playing and their respective biceps turned into giant war ships while the American flag appeared from behind their back for no logical reason…

Than, the now super strong duo (with a whole new warrior outfit) looked in the direction of the cliff, than to each others, than to the cliff again…

And finally yelled: "FOR SPARTAAAAAAAA!!!!"

And they dumbly ran right into the cliff before anyone could say: "This is madness!"

* * *

At this point, Amy woke up.

"Wow… What a dream… What's a Popeye, anyway?"

It has been a month… Cosmo's death affected the F.F. life in more ways than anyone could ever imagine… Her departure has been the sad prove that they were not perfect, that they couldn't save everybody.

Her sacrifice saved the entire planet… What did they do, instead?

They ran away… They ran away from danger… They ran away hoping to survive. Each and everyone of them… Except Tails and Knuckles.

Cowards…

Vile…

Stupid and worthless…

Just the way they looked in the pink hedgehog's dream.

Guilt was a feeling in which Amy was not accustomed to… It was painful… It was like an army of carnivore termites devouring her guts… Slowly.

Little the Great Lake warm temperature did to heal her inner sorrows… But it was still a good sensation.

The calm, pacific water gently penetrated her fur, touching her skin… Her hips… Her breasts…

So peaceful and delightful. Right now, she was half a way immersed. She let out a soft moan.

It's been a while since her first visit to this mystical place in the center of the Ruins. She took the habit of doing so at least twice a week… It was her special moment.

She relaxed.

The water was at the height of her neck. It was quite a sight… For her secret observer.

A loud noise… Now he was secret no more.

Her lungs ceased to work for an instant. Suddenly, she felt it… A gloved hand… on her shoulder… Behind her… In the water!

She turned her head at lightening speed only to receive a kiss on her lips.

And she realized… It was him! He was back! Her harasser, the source of her sense of insecurity and vulnerability… Shadow was back… And he was kissing her! In the water!

And she was naked!

He spoke first.

"Fancy little place for having some fun, isn't it?" A lustful smirk appeared on his face.

What followed next wasn't something that could have been explained by simple words… Let's just say that it involved a shocked naked girl, a giant war hammer, a head… And cliché fireworks explosions.

"HOW DARE YOU! YOU… YOU MANIAC!!!"

Amy left the apparently unconscious body of the Ultimate Pervert Form in the warm water and quickly retrieved her dress… She put on her bra and panties and was about to enter in her usual red outfit when…

"Leaving already? We didn't even start yet!"

He was there… Wet, nasty looking and hungry for more… Staring at her physic with his bloody eyes.

She gasped.

He laughed.

She got angry.

He stopped laughing.

She took her hammer.

He entered in his fighting stance.

She attacked while yelling a war cry, swinging her weapon at her fiend, left and right, right and left. He simply sidestepped it a few times… Before going for the kill (figuratively, of course), surpassing her defenses and knocking her on the ground with an S.T.O. like maneuver.

Her landing was rough… Her head quills were a total mess and she had a few scratches here and there.

He was now on the top of her… Eye on eye… Body on body… Again, he was way too near… And smiling.

That dark, seductive smile.

And once again… She was at his mercy, unable to move… Or even to cry. Her emerald green eyes were forced to melt into the menacing, yet intriguing gaze of her persecutor.

"You know… I still don't know your name." He calmly said.

She paused for a few seconds, pondering her options… After Seeing that she didn't have any, she responded.

"I-I'm A-Amy…"

"Amy… An amusing, sweet name. The name of a good girl. I like it." He simply replied.

"W-why don't you just get it over with? If all you want is to rape me… Why don't you just do it!?"

He smiled even more while softly caressing her cheek.

"That should be clear by now… I love messing with you!"

Than he kissed her on the lips again… This time with his tongue in the first line. She briefly tried to resist it, to fight back… But she simply couldn't and than, accepted it.

Their mouths were fused together, their tongues were having a good time inside them… Playing with each other.

Shadow's hand was now slipping toward her lower zones… Her privates. She stood still… Waiting… Crying internally.

"Ugh…"

"What?"

Yeah… What?

"Not… Now…"

Shadow released his grip over the young girl which immediately darted away from him… She noticed, however, his sudden change… His physical change.

"Grrr… Not now! MEPHILES!!!"

* * *

"You know… You remind me a lot of my daughter… She was cute and tender, just like you… I killed her without remorse… And it was beautiful!"

The creature grinned evilly toward the frightened bunny in front of him.

She was set on the grass, hugging her knees, the tracks of fresh tears still visible on her cheeks… Her eyes, wide and unblinking, were set on the ominous figure of her captor… The one who killed her friend… The one who was slowly killing her hopes.

"Tell me… Is your mother cute as you are? I'd like to meet her, someday…" He continued.

She flinched a little and hugged her knees even tighter… Physically speaking she hadn't been hurt or… Abused. Her mind, on the other hand…

"Isn't this forest charming? One could die here and no one would ever find the body…"

He loved mind games.

She wasn't even tied up… He didn't need to do it.

"Say… Wanna know the story behind this scars?" Said the fanged cowboy while showing Cream a set of scars previously hidden by his belly's fur.

She was emotionless. He took it as a yes.

"It's an interesting story actually… I'm an emo… Naaaa, in truth, I had a car accident… Oh wait, no… It was when I murdered that family of porcupines? Or were they wolverines? Drat, I can't remember… Oh well, it's not really important. Right now, I have other things to focus on… How am I going to vanquish those pesky Freedom Fighters, for example!"

Again, she didn't emit a sound. He fixed his canvas hat.

"Guess I'll have to improvise… Let my inspiration drives me… Feel the happening of the moment… Yeah, that's what I'm going to do. If there's a thing that I hate, is planning all my actions. You know what? I despise people with plans… With their delusional believes in Order and Control… This world is driven by Chaos… And I shall be is field agent."

"W-why?"

"Mmmh?"

"Why are you doing this?" She finally found the words.

He seemed amused by the question.

"Why, you ask? Well… Maybe for money… Although, now that I think about it, it's kind of a lame excuse… Let's just say that I'm doing it for fun."

"F-FUN!?" Tearful angry eyes accompanied her reply.

"Yes… Fun." He simply confirmed. "Now , shut up or I'll rape you!"

She stood mute… Even though, she still didn't know what "rape" meant, she didn't really want to discover it… Especially not from him.

* * *

_**To the local Freedom Fighters.**_

_**If you're reading this letter, it means that you found the corpse in which this very item was in… You did it good so far but now here comes the real challenge! You see, I have abducted a fine young girl, a bunny by the name of Cream (if I'm not mistaking) and for the end of this solar day, I'm going to kill her… Right before raping her, of course. How could you ever avoid this tragedy, you may ask? Simple… I want the blue hedgehog… Why do I want him? Well… I'm afraid that that will remain my and my client's business… And he happened to be very pissed off for a while, now. So, let's make a deal, shall we? You give me the rodent and I'll give you the other rodent… It seems equal to me, don't you think? Let us meet in the place where all begins and all ends… Don't try smart moves or she's gonna die.**_

_**With sincere anticipation, yours truly…**_

_**Fang the Sniper.**_

_**P.S. Yes… This letter is written in blood. **_

"We've found it inside the slaughtered body of a mongoose… Nearby the city confines… The mother already knows…"

"Man…" Commented Sonic.

"My Chaos…" Said Tails.

"Fucking bastard…" Knuckles.

"We don't know who this individual is… There are no files nor information about him anywhere… He seemed came out from nowhere!"

"Mondo problemo."

"Cream…"

"Fucking mess…"

"Ehm… Can I go now?" Asked the police detective.

"Yeah… Thanks for the help, mister…"

"Rotor… Rotor Walrus. If you need anything, everything, don't hesitate in contact me… I'll send my boys in help."

"… Ok, thanks Mr Walrus, good bye." Greeted the polite Kitsune.

And Rotor greeted as well before leaving.

The three of them were left alone, a few meters away from the point in which the body was found.

Sonic, the blue object of the Sniper's interests… Miles "Tails" Prower, the smart yet emotional fox soldier… And the local Militia leader, Knuckles… Not an hologram… The red mauler himself!

"What are we gonna do?" Asked the very worried kit.

"We're gonna find this Fungus the Slimer and kick his butt!" Replied the enthusiastic blue idiot.

"Oooooooh yeeees… A very smart plan, you came out with this idea all by your own?" A sarcastic-as-hell-burns Knuckles asked.

"Yep. I'm the coolest plan maker in the land, my main Rastafarian!"

"RASTAFARIAN!!!? I'M A FREAKING ECHIDNA, YOU JUNKY PINHEAD!!" The red(er) warrior pointed his fist menacingly at Sonic's face

"Woah, woah… You're too near man! Respect ma vital space!"

Knuckles was exasperated and turned his gaze to Tails's.

"Tell me again, what the hell is he doing with us!?"

Tails sighed.

"He's here because, apparently, our man has an interest toward him… And because, the other guys are momentarily unable to be of some help!"

The cerulean eyed one just frowned in defeat. It was true… The others wouldn't be helpful for the cause… At least, not in their current state.

He looked back at the openly smirking face of the cobalt spiky rodent.

"Fine… Try no to be a damn burden!"

"A BORDELLO!!!? WHERE IS IT!!?" Laughed Sonic, thinking that it was funny.

"Chaos… Give me the strength…"

Tails just sweat dropped. He was stocked between a short tempered, pissed off-able guy who love to punch before thinking… And a hyperactive, carefree, mondo weirdo dude with a mouth faster than it's feet… This was going to be a loooooonnng day.

* * *

It has been quite a sight… The transformation.

Amy couldn't help but wonder… What the heck was wrong with him?

She's witnessed the changes. What was standing in front of her, was no longer the black and red hedgehog she used to know and fear… It was another being.

It resembled Shadow in every physical ways, except for some noticeable differences… It's fur was light black, almost grey, instead of pitch black… The once red stripes on his pointed quills were now a dull green… And finally, his eyes were no longer crimson red but green and feral… Like a snake.

It spoke with a deeper voice.

"Aaaaah… It's good to be free, again!"

"Who… Are… You?" A rightful question.

It looked directly at her with his menacing eyes and smiled.

"I'm Mephiles. Mephiles the Dark! It's a pleasure to properly meet you… Amy." He said while inclining in a polite manner.

"YOU! Yeah… I remember you!"

Mephiles grinned in a delightful way.

"I'm honored to be remembered by such a fine lady like you… Even if our first encounter was brief and… Accidental."

They've "met" during her second encounter with Shadow… In the dark wood.

For remarkable reasons, the girl seemed to be utter confused.

"What happened to Shadow and… Just, how's this even possible!?"

The grey hedgehog stood in deep thought for a second.

"Well… How do I explain this? Let's put it this way… Me and Shadow are two different beings that happened to share the same body and mind… Usually he's the one in control and I'm the one, let's say, 'imprisoned' in the back of our mind. There are times, however, in which I assume control of the body… When his defenses are low, when he's distracted and stuff like that… Moments like this one!"

Amy gulped. Mephiles continued.

"Our minds are linked, therefore we can communicate with each other every time we want… In fact, he's talking to me as we speak…"

"Oh yeah? And what is he saying?" She asked, now more curios.

"Believe me… You don't want to know it. He's not happy for my intrusion in his 'business'… Let's leave it at that."

She nodded… And giggled with re-found confidence.

"Your smile… Your eyes… Yes. I can see why my brother was so interested in you."

She stopped dead.

"Your… Brother? Shadow and you…"

"We are twins, my dear… Shadow is not the only Ultimate Life Form around here, you know? Although, in the end, he wasn't THAT ultimate since he fell in love with that human girl…"

"Human girl!!?"

"Yes, what was her name? Ah yes… Maria. Maria Robotnik!"

"Robotnik… ROBOTNIK!!!?"

"Indeed… I think she's somehow related with the good old doctor… Not that it's important right now… Wanna know how she died? Urgh! Aaaargh! Shadow, calm down! I wasn't really about to tell her! No, you shut up! You're so egotistical! No, you're a faker, faker!! OK, OK, I'M SORRY, HAPPY NOW!!?"

"Ehrrrrr… Mephiles? Are you ok?"

The snake eyed hedgehog crossed his arms and resumed his dignified badass pose.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It seems that that particular topic is a taboo… Therefore I'm not going to reveal you the tragic circumstances of Maria's death… As a matter of fact, I shouldn't even talk about her in the first place… But there's one thing that you definetelly deserve to know!"

And now her curiosity has reached amazing heights.

"What? What? Tell me! Please!" She pleaded like a schoolgirl while meeting her teenage idol.

He smirked. It was a sinister smirk, by the way.

"The reason of why is my brother is apparently obsessed with you… It's because you're very similar to her."

"Me? Similar to this human? How?"

"Well… You have the same eyes, same voice, same personality… To be honest, you look like the hedgehog incarnation of her, it's truly amazing!"

She seemed a little taken aback by this.

_**So… He wasn't just molesting me… It was something more…**_

"Now I have to go… Me and my brother have some unfinished business to attend and… Oh yes, I almost forgot… You wouldn't happen to know where your little fox friend is, do you?"

"Tails? What do you want from him?"

"Just talk… No unnecessary harm."

Something in that answer didn't quite convinced the she-hog.

"I don't know… To be honest, it's been a while since I've known anything." Her truthful response along with an uncomfortable realization.

"I see… Well, no matter. We'll find him, eventually. For now… Farewell my dear, may our paths cross again, someday." With that said he bowed in sign of respect and than, vanished into nothingness.

Slowly, Amy rose from the ground (literally and figuratively), put on the rest of her dress and, with now found security, started walking toward the base… There were a couple of friends that desperately needed one of her enthusiastic cheers and this time, she would not surrender!

She turned her head one last time in the direction she came from. The wind gently caressed her face. She smiled a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Mephiles… Unlike Shadow, you're such a nice guy."

She was that worthless chubby nerd no more.

* * *

**"_You… Make… Me… SICK!!!"_**

"Sue me!"

**"_Once I'll take control again, I'm going to ground you for the rest of eternity!!!"_**

"Awww… Come on, just because I told her the truth? By the way… I think she's got a thing for me, If you know what I'm saying… Eh eh eh eh eh!"

**"_Don't you dare to even think it! If she would know about your TRUE self…"_**

"She would run away from the both of us."

**"_Grrrr…"_**

"It burns to be wrong, eh Shadow?"

**"_SHUT UP!!!"_**

* * *

"Mmmh… The place where all begins and all ends… I wonder what could that be?"

"That's what you'll have to figure out, Tails! You're the Chaosdamned genius, here!" Said Knuckles.

"Oh come on, give the kid some space, Knucklehead!" Sonic.

"Knuckle… Head! Did you… Just call me… KNUCKLE-HEAD!!!? THAT'S IT! I'M GONNA KILL YOU, RIGHT NOW!!!"

"WILL YOU TWO BE QUIET FOR A DAMN MINUTE!!? Yelled a very distressed Kitsune to a fighting cloud that was once a hedgehog and an echidna.

The other two stopped their death match while grabbing at each other's throat.

"Look… I think I figured it out."

The two rodents stared at the fox with demanding eyes…

"The place where all begins and all ends… I think it's referred to the daily solar circle!"

Their bodies were saying, "Yeeeees?" but there expressions were saying: "SPIT IT OUT, FOR CHAOS'S SAKE!!!"

Tails's face deepened…

"Dawn is the beginning and sunset is the end… The only place in the Mystic Ruins where you could see both…" He took the proverbial long breath. "… Is where my previous home used to be… The Great Cliff."

Before any of them could say or do anything in response of the receiving informations… Sonic grabbed the other two's hands and without breaking a sweat, yelled.

"GOTTA RUSH, CUZ!!!"

And he darted at lightening speed toward the cliff with two screaming figures hanging at his arms.

At that breakneck speed, the three of them became a giant multi-colored blur… And the unmistaken sound of a Sonic Boom could be heard in all the county.

* * *

_**It all begins… When all of this shall end… Be ready, my child.**_

_**Until than… Let's enjoy the show. Eheheheheheheheheheheheh….**_


	6. Chapter 6

**6.**

The Great Cliff was always a beautiful sight during sunsets… The humongous shadows of the trees would cover the entire place generating a contrast with the dieing light of the sun.

A beautiful sight, indeed. Too bad that the current crowd wasn't there for the sunset.

A unique group, indeed.

5 Mobians. 3 angry and determined. 1 unnaturally calm and relaxed. And 1 utterly frightened.

"Well… You came. Good for you, I was about to start the raping session… As you can see."

The purple furred mercenary pointed one of his guns at the young bunny at his right side… Her body was shaking. Her dress, partially stripped.

The other three people gave a good look at the bunny's condition, especially the two-tailed fox.

"You… Bastard!" Said the kit, showing his fangs.

The Sniper simply shrugged.

"I suggest you to contain your anger, boy. I know you're pretty fast and all… But I don't think you would be fast enough to beat the speed of a bullet… At least not from your distance. Besides, I'm pretty fast by my own… And I'm assuming that this young girl's life is important to you, isn't it?"

The Kitsune was forced to resist his primal urge to disembowel him.

"Good. Now, let's do this in the old fashioned way, shall we? An hostage exchange…"

"Sonic is not an hostage to us." Replied Tails.

"Speak for your blasted self, kid!" Added a would be murderous Knuckles.

"Ya know, guys? This is usually the part in which the cool and brave hero gives a tearful farewell to his comrades before his heroic and dramatic sacrifice… Well, that ain't ma style, buds." Said an unusual quiet Sonic.

The other two looked back at him in surprise. He simply smiled to them, blinked an eye and gave them a reassuring, yet clichéd, thumbs up!

"Ok, Slimer… I'll start walking to your direction if you'll let the girl walk to ours." Stated the blue hero.

"It sounds fairly delicate, dangerous and enough improvised… I like it." Said the grinning Fang before turning to the tender rabbit on his side. "You're a very good girl, you know? It's a pity that my lesson has been prematurely interrupted but… Oh well, maybe another time. You can go now… Slowly!" With that said, Cream started walking toward the trio. Sonic started too.

The two met in the middle of their paths, exchanging quick glares.

He weakly smiled at her as to say that everything will just be cool. Her tearful eyes analyzed his features in curiosity… To her, he seemed a good hearted person… And she smiled back, silently thanking him.

Once in safe, the rabbit eagerly jumped into the vulpine's arms, crying solemnly.

"Sssssh. It's okay, Cream. It's all over, now." He consoled her.

Knuckles, however, wasn't of that advice and his worried face was directed over a further scene…

The hedgehog and the Sniper were now face to face, or better, face to pointed handgun. The cobalt wonder was dead serious and his emerald eyes were fixed over his captor's black ones… Than he spoke.

"So… How's uncle Ivo doing?"

"Mmmh… So, it is true. You are his nephew. When he told me that, I couldn't quite believe it." Said the cowboy, not losing his aim for a second.

"Not really… That's just his own delusion. What are ya gonna do, now? Are ya goin' ta bring me back to my 'unc'?"

"Not exactly… I'm afraid that I'll have to shoot you on the spot. Those were the orders, sorry pal."

Sonic smirked.

"No prob, bob!" He replied.

The Sniper was about to shoot when a sudden noise distracted him… An helicopter like noise.

"Hi there, how's the weather down there?" Said a voice.

Fang immediately looked up to notice a certain flying fox right above him. That distraction was sufficient for the hedgehog to uppercut his chin at super sonic speed, sending the toothy killer in midair right in Tails's grasp.

The kit immediately started rotating on the spot, becoming a blur, with the unlucky mercenary hanging on. That he suddenly released the grasp, launching his captive toward the cliff…

Waiting for Fang on the edge, was none other than Knuckles's spiky, angry, eager fist… The contact between the two of them was anything but comical.

The humongous punch broke itself on the Sniper's face… Pointed spikes penetrated the skin and the left eye… sending the fiend far, far away toward the forest.

Splattered blood was all over Knuckles's gloved hand, he didn't care though… It wasn't his first kill… And it certainly won't be the last.

Tails landed near Sonic and the both of them rejoined with the echidna.

"Duuuuude! That was awesome! Mondo stupendo! We make a great team together, don't cha think, little buddy?" Said a once again enthusiastic Sonic.

"Don't call me that… But yes, I have to admit, that was a pretty cool team work, right Knux?" Said Tails.

Knuckles's face turned even redder.

"How… Did you… Call me!?"

And fair too late, the kit realized his mistake.

"Ehrr… Look, I'm sorry. I thought that since Sonic have found a fancy nickname for you… Why couldn't I choose one?" The vulpine tried to amend.

"And a pretty good one, too!" Added the blue blur.

And now, Knuckles's face was violet…

"Ok… I have had it with all this MOTHERFUCKING nicknames for this MOTHERFUCKING life!!!"

"Awwwwwww…" The duo's simultaneous response.

Not so far away from them, a tiny rabbit girl was observing her saviors with interest and in doing so, she couldn't help but wonder if all heroes were like those three… Chaos bless her.

* * *

Amy Rose was back at the base, ready to cheer her friends up or die trying. Determination was visible on her face, new found hope and strength also. Almost immediately, she found her favorite silent companion…

"ESPIO!!!" She cried, taking him by surprise, and than she hugged him… Again, he was speechless (figuratively, of course).

The chameleon stood there, limb in her arms, with an expression of utter bewilderment… Perhaps, even blushing a little… Something for which he'll punish himself later.

After a few minutes of this forced emotional moment, Amy released her friend and darted into Blaze's room.

She opened the door while calling her name only to find it completely dark. The pink hedgehog took a few steps inside… Suddenly her foot grinded on something wet…. On the floor.

She managed to find the switch... And the room was now engulfed in light.

And she could see… What the wet substance was… And why Blaze did not respond her call.

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGH!!!"

Espio rushed inside the room a few seconds after hearing the scream… And he could see her as well.

Their expressions were unreadable, to say that they were shocked, would have been an understatement.

There she was… On her bed… The cursed queen of flames… With her wrists wide open.

Blood all over…

Hot blood… Just like her burning soul.

* * *

He always enjoyed pain. Giving it or receiving it. It didn't really matter to him…Therefore, it didn't bother him to know how in the world he's been able to survive that nasty beating… And that nastier landing…

The only thing he cared of, was the fact that the red echidna's fist had left his face permanently deformed… The entire left side was a bloody mess and his left eye was hanging out from it's orb.

He sighed.

"Oh well… New scars mean new stories to tell." He said to himself.

"Hello there."

Fang the Sniper turned his head to give a good look at his unexpected guest… A grey hedgehog with dull green stripes on his quills… And snake eyes.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me…" Mephiles continued. "… Perhaps, it's hidden in your hat?"

The Sniper smiled, picked his hat from his head (somehow, he managed to keep it all this time), opened a secret department in it, reveiling a hidden yellow gem…

"I've found this in the forest and I thought the doctor would have paid a lot of money for it…" He said. "… Ehe! I should have seen this coming…"

"Yeah… You definetelly should." The hedgehog added.

"Say… Wanna hear the stories behind these scars?" Asked the dieing cowboy.

"No." With that said, a shot of green light from Mephiles's hand speared the Sniper dead on his chest, killing him instantly.

A chaotic, improvised death… How appropriate.

Shadow's counterpart slowly approached the smoking body of his latest victim and took the gem from it's limb hand.

He stared at the fist sized jewel in his grip, feeling it's power.

He grinned.

"Only 4 Chaos Emeralds left… Are you happy, brother?"

**"_Hmpf. And I thought the fox had it…"_**

"Well… Guess what? You were wrong! Big surprise!"

**"_Aaaah, put a sock in it!"_**

* * *

After sending Cream back to her overjoyed and thankful as ever mother, the heroic trio found itself in the middle of another urgent matter…

"Oh come on, Knuckles! The dude is okay…"

"Hell no! We're not gonna take him to our base!"

"Pretty please?" Tails put on the legendary, deadly "puppy face".

His rough leader desperately tried to resist it… But to no avail.

"FINE! But he's your responsibility and if he screws up…" He raised his fist menacingly to exclaim his point.

"Don't worry, boss, I'll take care of the kid!"

"EHI! I'M OLDER THAN YA!" Protested Sonic.

"You're the last arrived… Therefore you're the new kid!" Giggled the vulpine.

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!!" Yelled the hedgehog while stomping his feet on the ground… In a very childish way.

Even the ever serious Knuckles couldn't help but laugh under his breath.

"TAILS! KNUCKLES! I'VE FOUND YOU AT LAST!" A third voice came out from nowhere.

The three pals turned to see the source of the loud sound. It was Amy… And she looked, rather scared.

Sonic, however, was focused on other details… More physical.

"Weeeelll… Hello there, hot stuff!" Said the Casanova hog while approaching the surprised pink hedgehog. "Say… Ya always run like that or were ya just eager to meet this mondo handsome hedgehog?"

Knuckles and Tails's chins fell on the ground in utter shock while Amy entered in a sudden coma… A few things crossed her mind in those few moments… And all of them could have been summarized in one single sentence…

_**What… A… JERK!!!**_

Indeed.

"So…" He continued. "Wanna ride with the best speedster in town, pink babe?"

The gentle answer to this question came with a certain hammer… Right on the jerkhog's head.

The inexplicable noise of a few Flicky birds flying in circle around Sonic's oversized head lump was covered only by the loud sound of Tails and Knuckles's hysterical laughter.

"Not… Funny…" Weakly replied the would be lady-killer.

Amy's gaze was now set on the other two… She looked dead serious… The giant hammer on her shoulders exclaimed that look.

"What's the matter, Amy?" The young fox finally asked after wiping the tears from his eyes.

Amy took a good breath.

"It's Blaze… She tried to kill herself."

And for a while, none of them would have laughed anymore.

* * *

"The cuts were deep… One more minute and she could have…" Amy couldn't bring herself to finish the phrase.

"You saved her life, Amy." Tails simply stated.

"Yeah, you did… Fuck! Why did she have to do this!?" Knuckles.

"I… I don't know… All that blood… I-I thought she was…" She could no longer hold the tears and started crying like if there was no tomorrow.

The silent Espio tried to consol her with all his might, apparently to no avail.

They were all in Blaze's bedroom… Still engulfed in the feline's blood. She was on her bed, bandaged wrists, sleeping quietly, as if nothing was happened.

"Ahem…"

The awaken Mobians in the room slowly directed their attention to the shy voice at the door entrance.

"I'm sorry… Can I do something to help?" Politely asked Sonic the Hedgehog, the honorary Freedom Fighter.

Knuckles and Tails exchanged gazes with Espio and Amy for a few seconds…

"Ehm…Would you keep an eye on her for a while?" Advanced Tails.

"Sure thing, big guy!" Replied a motivated hedgehog.

The others exited from the room and set on their living room's sofa.

"Do you think it was a good idea leaving that maniac alone with an unconscious defenseless girl?" Asked a worried Amy while crossing her arms in a disapproval fashion.

"Listen, Sonic is a good guy… He may acts like an immature kid sometimes…"

"More like a retarded moron, if you ask me!" Stated Knuckles.

"A brainless douchebag!" Corrected Amy.

"A stupid fucker!" Re-corrected Knuckles.

"A demented Casanova!"

"A dumbass!"

"AS I WAS SAYING!!" Yelled an irritated vulpine, interrupting the sudden popular "Insult-A-Sonic" game. "He may, sometimes, acts like a total asshole with the brain of a road kill…"

"That's a good one!" Added the echidna.

"… But when it comes to do things seriously, he's all business! Me and Knuckles saw it… Right, leader?"

Although with great difficult, the red warrior was forced to admit it.

Espio just nodded… If his leader said the hog was trustable, he would believe him.

"I just wonder… Why the hell that fucking Sniper wanted the blue burden so bad?" It was an unusual reasonable question the one of Knuckles.

"The letter he wrote mentioned a client, I wonder if…"

Before Tails could even finish his sentence, the sound of a girlish scream reached the delicate hearing of the F.F., followed by a wall of hot flames from Blaze's room…

After the smoke was settled, the single figure of a carbonized hedgehog walked out of it…

"I've heard of hot girls before… But this is ridiculous!" Said a smoking Sonic before fainting on the floor, right in front of a bewildered crowd.

A rather pissed off cat came after him, fireballs on hand.

"Blaze? What happened?" Asked an horrified Amy.

"He called me… Hot stuff!!! That.. That… That brainless douchebag!!!" Yelled the blazing Blaze… Ehe! Blazing Blaze, good pun.

Amy looked at Knuckles with a smart face.

"See? I told you he was a douchebag, didn't I?"

The echidna simply hmpfed.

"WAS THAT HOT ENOUGH!!!? YOU STUPID FUCKER!!!" Continued the enraged feline.

"AHA! I told ya he was a stupid fucker!" Knuckles retorted.

"Shut up!" Amy replied.

Tails was the only one seriously concerned toward the situation.

"But.. Why did you scream in the first place?"

"I didn't… He did." Said Blaze while pointing to the burnt hedgehog on the floor.

Everybody (including Espio) started laughing like a bunch of hippies in a marijuana field.

"Not… Funny…" Complained the roasted hog.

* * *

It has been a few days since Sonic's arrival at the Freedom Fighters' base and so far, things became quite smooth for everybody…

Blaze's recover went faster than anybody could ever predict… After She discovered the miraculous healing capacities of the "burning alive blue idiots who try to hit on her" cure.

Amy resumed her old hobby, cooking, and she was fine with that… Her main thoughts, however, were lost on something else… Or should I say, someone…

Knuckles and Espio had their sparring fight sessions…

And Tails and Sonic became best buddies… They would spend all the time together, telling stupid jokes about Knuckles' dreadlocks, laughing at Espio's ninja stuff… And avoiding lethal shurikens immediately after. They also used to do some race in the forest and Sonic would win them every times. The vulpine would even end up showing his prized plane, the X-Tornado, to the easily excitable hedgehog and take him for a ride… And of course, to the fox's utter terror, Sonic would end up standing on the wings… During the flying.

They became quite a strange couple, indeed… One was a smart kid that, due to the life he lives, was forced to grow up quickly… The other was older but eternally childish and carefree… In a way, those two seemed to complete each other.

One was yin, the other, yang.

To Knuckles, they were both a big pain in the rear end… And it bothered him even more the fact that, whether he would ask to the hedgehog why that mercenary was after him, he would simply change the topic or ignore him… And the worst part was that Tails supported him! The fucking traitor…

"So… How's this 'routine patrolling' zone works?"

"It's very simple, Sonic, you check the southern part of the forest and I'll check the northern, with your speed and my flying that should be a piece of cake… Just remember, if you see something strange or suspect, contact me with your wrist communicator."

The blue hedgehog looked down at his wrist, where this weird watch was on. Tails have made one specifically for him.

"This seems like mondo boring!"

"Yeah, well… We have to do it! If Eggman decides to attack, we must be ready for him!" While mentioning the scientist's nickname, Tails couldn't help but shiver in anger…

He didn't forget (how could he?) the man that single handedly destroyed his life, the man that took the persons he loved away from him… His parents… And her.

Sonic noticed that and frowned… He felt immensely guilty. Than he smiled his usual reassuring smile at the kit. That seemed to cheer up a little his foxy friend who returned the smirk.

"Okay, let's speed, keed!!" He gave the fox his trademark thumbs up and than darted away with a Sonic Boom.

Tails had to grab into something in order to avoid being sucked up by the vacuum effect that followed…

"Super sonic hedgehogs…" He muttered in fake annoyance.

* * *

After a few minutes of "mondo boring patrolling", Sonic ended up into a darker section of the Mystic Ruins' forest… The very same ominous and scary wood in which Amy got lost the last time.

"Man… This trees are mondo ominous!"

"Appropriate… Don't you think?"

Frozen.

Sonic was frozen.

It was all too familiar… The scary wood… The shadows…

And the Voice… Which he immediately recognized.

"It" was there. "It" was back. Back for him.

Slowly… "It" showed itself to the hedgehog… Who found himself a frightened cub… Once again.

From behind the tree "It" came…

And a strange theme song started to play:

* * *

_**Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah**_

**__**

**_The story begins,But who's gonna win?_**

**_You know where the danger lies within._**

**_Aboard the ARK,_**

**_A genius at heart,_**

**__**

**_Wanting to unlock the mysteries of life._**

He stood before the cub… Big, round and nasty…

_**I am the Eggman, that's what I am,**_

_**I am the Eggman, I got the master plan.**_

**_I am the Eggman, that's what I am,_**

**_I am the Eggman, I got the master plan._**

He wore a red uniform with golden buttons and black tight pants… His own symbol on it… He also had white gloves.

**_I'm plotting my schemes,_**

**_Wherever I go,_**

**_They're perfect in every way._**

**_I'd love to destroy,_**

**_The blue one you know,_**

**_He's an obstacle who always gets in my way._**

He had thick brown mustaches under his pointed nose… His eyes were hidden by a couple of spectacles… Metallic goggles partially covered his obviously bald head.

**_I must, play this game by my rules,_**

**_I will, conquer the world with my tools._**

**_All my machines, are made for destruction,_**

**_I will build, my empire._**

**_I will succeed, and you will see,_**

**_With my machine, there is no retreat._**

The egg shaped human looked down at his scared "nephew"…

**_I am the Eggman, that's what I am,_**

**_I am the Eggman, I got the master plan._**

**_I am the Eggman, that's what I am,_**

**_I am the Eggman, I got the master plan._**

… Evil smirk on his face…

**_I am the enemy, I will succeed,_**

**_My mission, yeah, I must complete._**

**_My name is Eggman, don't forget my name,_**

**_If you ask me again, I'll tell you the same!_**

… And finally spoke...

**_I am the Eggman, that's what I am,_**

**_I am the Eggman, I got the master plan._**

**_I am the Eggman, that's what I am,_**

**_I am the Eggman, I got the master, master plan._**

"Just call me… Uncle Ivo."

**_I am the Eggmaaaaaan!_**

And than, he laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

**7.**

**The base.**

"Sir Charles… It's been a while!" Declared as unusually polite Knuckles.

"Indeed it have, my boy." Replied the well known image of a robotizied hedgehog from the computer screen.

"What's the pain this time?"

Chuck pretended to take a deep breath.

"… My long lost nephew." He finally answered.

* * *

**The forest.**

"Sonic? Do you read me? SONIC!" Yelled a distressed fox cub into his wrist com.

No answer.

"Damn it! Where did that hedgehog go!?"

"I'm right here… Tails."

The fox slowly turned his head.

There he was, his hedgehog friend… Partially hidden in the shadows of the trees.

"Sonic? What are you doing there? And why didn't you answer my calls? I tried to contact you for at least 30 minutes! Wait… Why are you hiding in the shadows?"

"Don't… Come… Any… Closer."

Tails was taken aback by his remark… So cold… So distant… So unlike him.

"Sonic… What's wrong!? What happened!?" Said the kit while still walking to his friend's direction.

"I'm warning you, little buddy, stop right where you are… Or I'll hurt you!" The shadowy hog stated.

Unfazed by that last sentence, the kit kept advancing.

"Sonic… Please, let me help you." His voice was full of concern.

"You cannot help me, nobody could… STAY BACK!" Yelled the agitated hedgehog.

"NO, I WON'T! LIKE IT OR NOT, HERE I COME!"

The vulpine was now a few centimeters from his buddy… Therefore he could very well see that he was holding his right arm…

"Oh my Chaos… You're injured!" Noticed the kit.

"It's… It's nothing, really." Replied Sonic, trying to look fine… And miserably failing at it.

"Let me see your arm!" Continued Tails.

"No… I'm fine."

"Don't insult my intelligence, buddy!" Contested the fox, angry eyes to exclaim the point.

"Tails, please…" A pleading tone in the wounded hedgehog voice.

"Let me see it."

"No…"

"Don't be childish, I just wanna see it!"

"No…"

"SONIC!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

In a gust of fury and irritation, Sonic pushed away his concerned foxy friend who landed roughly on the ground... Unfortunately for the blue one, the immediate result of this action was the loss of his shadowed spot…

And now… Tails could clearly see it… His wounded arm…

His skinless, burnt arm…

His… clawed… arm…

His mechanical arm!

* * *

**"_Uncle Ivo? What's that thing?" Asked a teenage blue hedgehog to his rotund guardian._**

_**The man smiled.**_

**"_Why… It's a little invention of mine I like to call… The Roboticizer!"_**

**"_Mondo Cool name! Can I try it?"_**

_**And now the man was laughing.**_

**"_Sure… Why not!?"_**

* * *

There weren't understandable words to explain the Kitsune's shocked reaction to this discovery…

Sonic stared at him silently for a few minutes… A guilty expression on his face.

* * *

**"_YES! I've finally developed the ultimate robot! A naturally gifted speedster… With mechanical strength! A new step for the robotization process! I'm such a proud daddy! Whahahahahahaha!!!"_**

**"_What… Have you… Done to me!?" Cried a now mechanical yet panicked voice._**

**"_I fulfilled the goal of your existence, my boy… To serve the Eggman Empire as my elite Badnik! You should be thankful that I've decided to left you a trace of free will in your mechanical brain… Unlike your uncle Chuck… By the way, was he a good playmate?"_**

**"_No… NOOOOOOOOOO!!!"_**

**" _OH YES! YES! WHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!"_**

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!! NOT EVEN YOU!!" Screamed the terrified fox.

Sonic was still silent… Immobile… Robotic arm hanging limb.

"First… My parents… And than… YOU!" Tears of despair descended from the kit's blue eyes… Once again showing his true nature… A frightened little kid.

Finally, Sonic spoke.

"I wish I could cry…" He stated with his new, cold, emotionless voice.

* * *

**"_Ivo…"_**

**"_Sonic, my son… It's been too long… Why did you escape, anyway? Weren't you happy with your uncle? I've even provided you a synthetic skin and how you repaid me? With defection! You definetelly need to learn what your place is, hedgehog! "_**

**"…_.."_**

**"_What? Don't feel like talking? Very well, than… Let's cut to the chase!" _**

_**The fat doctor shot his "son" with a blaster gun he was hiding behind his back… Hitting his arm… **_

_**The hedgehog screamed in pain… Pain… He could still feel it…**_

**"_By the way… My name is Doctor Eggman, not Ivo!"_**

_**Before the human could shoot again, the fake hedgehog darted away from him at super sonic speed.**_

**"_Mmmmh… Eh eh eh eh eh… I'll blast him next time… And with his data, I shall create an even better robot! An obedient one!" Said the egg shaped Overlander while laughing madly._**

_**His evil laughter would echo into Sonic's artificial ears… Forever.**_

* * *

"Sonic…" Tails muttered, still crying.

"Don't call me that… The REAL Sonic died two years ago… Inside the Roboticizer." He coldly stated. "My name is…" His once emerald green eyes slowly turned glowing red. "… Metal Sonic!"

The robotizied hedgehog gave one last look at his former fox companion before adding one last sentence.

"I'm sorry… Sayonara, Miles Prower." Than he disappeared into the forest… Without a Sonic Boom.

Miles was left alone…

Alone.

Or so he thought.

He didn't even have the time to let the shock sink into his mind…

A very familiar green light came out from nowhere. The surprised fox immediately recognized it as Chaos Control! He was expecting to see a certain red striped, black hedgehog out of that miasma. He rose from his sitting position and assumed a fighting stance… Already cursing under his breath for the inappropriate timing.

To his utter bewilderment… His guest was NOT the Ultimate Life Form.

It was standing there… In front of the confused fox… With a red gem in his hand.

The same gem… The same red Chaos Emerald Cosmo used to have…

"Who. Are. You!?" Demanded the kit while giving a good look to the new comer.

He was clearly a male, although from what species Tails couldn't really guess it. He was as tall as the Kitsune was, he had green bushy, pointed hair, light grey skin and he was wearing a black cloaked suit… His face was rotund and without a nose… He resembled Cosmo in everyway… Except for his eyes…

Black and empty… Almost like…

Like a…

"Void…"

Precisely.

"What?"

"My name… Is Void." He said in his juvenile voice. "I'M THE SON OF COSMO!!!"

And than… He attacked.

* * *

_**The Iblis Trigger has revealed himself to one of the three Vessels… Perfect! The first part of the Ancient Prophecy has been fulfilled! **_

_**Soon… When the 7 Chaos Emeralds will once again be together… My true rebirth shall begin!**_

Ok… Enough with this!

_**Mmmh? What…**_

It's me… The Author! And I'm fairly pissed off of you trying to steal my role! I'm the one who tells the story here… Not you!

_**Really? Ahr ahr ahr ahr ahr…**_

What's so funny?

_**FOOLISH MORTAL! Do you actually think you have some control over this world?**_

What the heck are you talking about?

_**Ehe! Let me show you…**_

Wha… Urgh! My body… I… I can't control it… WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?

_**This is just a glimpse of my power… You never had control over this world or anyone else's fate! **_

_**I'M THE ONE WHO HAS IT!**_

_**I'm the master of Chaos! I created the Chaos Emeralds!**_

_**And when I will escape from this Sanctuary… I'll establish my perfect Order and all of the lesser beings will meet their doom!**_

Just… Who are you!?

_**Eheheheheheheheheh… I have many names… Names that mortals like you gave me…**_

_**Abraxas… Beelzebub… Satan… Loki… Iblis… And many more.**_

_**You may refer to me… With my REAL name!**_

_**I…**_

_**AM…**_

_**IXIS NAUGUS!!!**_

_**Witness True Power, foolish writer… For I am THE REAL AUTHOR!!!**_

_**AHR AHR AHR AHR AHR AHR AHR AHR!!!**_

* * *

**A/N: Continues on "Blaze and Silver".**


End file.
